


Will it All Turnout Okay?

by katicanteven



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Dancing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 07:56:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17199599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katicanteven/pseuds/katicanteven
Summary: Dan is a dancer. Phil stumbles into the studio with the intention of taking some ballet classes, but ends up with more than just good technique.(or, the story of how I met a guy that’s been tweaked to become a phanfic that i’m putting online because I think typing out everything is good for me)





	1. The Beginning

dan had been taking dance classes for years. his friday night class, however, had recently become his favorite. most people like to go out or party on friday nights, maybe go to the bar, but dan spent his friday nights at the barre. the ballet barre, that is. he had his spot in the corner on the wall barre, while everyone else chose the center barres to be near friends. dan liked having his own little world in the corner where he could focus on himself and have room to extend his long legs.

except a couple weeks in, a new boy showed up to class. he seemed very shy as he walked in the room and talked to the teacher, (dan’s favorite teacher), with his hair over his eyes and fidgety hands. from the moment dan laid his eyes on the boy, he felt something towards this newest class member. dan didn’t know what that feeling was at first, but he brushed it off and stretched out a bit before class.

the teacher introduced the new student, named phil, and explained he would be joining the class as a beginner. dan wasn’t sure why a beginner was walking into the so-called “advanced” ballet class. but of course, since phil was fresh and didn’t know very many things, he was going to need someone to follow, and of course the teacher guided phil right behind dan at the barre, and told phil to watch dan as the example. dan was terrified. he was the second oldest and probably in the top 3 people in the class, but why did he of all people have to be picked? he had liked the solitude of his back corner and the lack of pressure from other people. not only did he have to do well for himself now, but he had to do well enough that this phil could watch and follow and learn from his movements.

as phil approached the barre, he looked over the rest of the class. dan looked phil over and noticed his broad shoulders and a little bit of muscle peeking out through phil’s semi-fitting tshirt. he noticed phil didn’t have any ballet shoes yet, just socks. he seemed very out of his element and yet kind of eager to learn ballet.

as the teacher helped start phil out through the first class, dan also noticed that phil had absolutely no turn-out whatsoever, but he had feet made for dancing. the arches in his feet when they pointed were so beautiful and dan thought it was incredibly unfair. phil just waltzes into the class, no ballet experience whatsoever, with feet better than dan will ever achieve and above all, he ruined dan’s little safe, self-reflective bubble. dan focused the whole class on being absolutely perfect, more than usual. it was like having the pressure of someone else depending on him pushed him to be even more hyper aware of all his movements and the quality behind them. it was frustrating that phil had this impact on him by just standing behind him and watching throughout the class.

and yet, dan was still intrigued by phil. through the weeks, dan would occasionally see phil do something wrong and want to correct him or help him, but was too afraid to speak to him. what if he didn’t want dan’s help? what if he came across wrong? what if he stuttered or was bad at explaining something? dan didnt risk it. and he took phil’s silence during class as another reason to not speak to him (except that one time phil was talking to the teacher while walking backwards and bumped into dan while he was trying to dance. phil had turned around, bright red, spat out a rushed “i’msosorry” and scurried away to the back corner.)

although phil did sing during class. around christmas time, their teacher broke out the cd with piano renditions of christmas carols that was made for ballet warm-ups and combinations. phil would occasionally hum along to the songs or softly sing the lyrics as he danced. dan was encapsulated by phil’s soft singing voice. it was ridiculously distracting, which frustrated dan, yet he wished phil would sing more often. he liked hearing phil sing. he overheard phil telling the teacher about being in his school’s choir and performing in some fancy invite-only ensemble. dan decided that day he wanted to hear phil sing for him someday.

after a while, phil’s presence became expected to dan, and he felt a little less pressure as phil began to learn stuff and didn’t need to stare at dan for every single step. however, he still knew next to nothing compared to everyone else in the class and he still watched dan a lot. it meant that whenever dan messed up, he felt really guilty about it because that meant phil messed up also. it pushed him to work really hard during that class to prove that he was a good example for phil.

eventually, dan found himself taking a liking to phil. phil was shy, but very pretty, with eyes that just drew you in when you looked at them. and he had beautiful feet of course. dan started watching phil through the mirror instead of watching himself and improving because he was just captivated by this boy for some reason. he started planning what outfits he would wear to friday night classes and occasionally paid more attention to his hair before leaving for that class. he did this all subconsciously of course, because he knew that he couldn’t possibly have a crush on phil from just seeing him once a week for a couple months and never speaking a word to him or even really knowing who he was outside of the studio. 

but sometimes phil didn’t show up to class, and dan felt disappointed at his absence, and he realized it. he refused to believe he even had the inkling of any feelings for that boy, but found himself talking about phil a lot. he told the others at the studio that he felt pressure and he wanted to help but was afraid to talk, he told them that it makes him better to have him around though. one of his friends, (not in that friday class,) ended up being friends with phil. she knew dan well enough to see that dan had some kind of draw towards phil and she shut it down. she told dan that phil had a girlfriend and he also has commitment issues and has a lot of family issues and told dan to not catch any feelings for phil because it was a bad idea. dan denied feeling anything but deep down he felt a little hurt. of course phil wasn’t single. a cute boy like that who can sing and, kind of dance? dan didn’t stand a chance. 

and so from that point on he tried to show as little interest in phil as possible. he internally pushed away any feelings and just focused on dancing as much as he could. but of course phil was always there, right behind him, eyes drilling into his back as phil mimicked his movements. dan resented it for a while. but eventually, by june, the class was over. the recital happened, they performed, and a year’s worth of dance was done. 

or so dan thought.

june was also audition time for dan, and this year was the year he was old enough to be considered his dream role. only 5 people are picked each year, so each lead performs a different show, and dan desperately wanted to be one of them. he wasn’t the best by far, and he knew it. there were 13 people up for the role, and dan knew he was better than some, but definitely not better than all. he thought maybe if he worked really hard and put everything he had into that audition, he could just maybe nab that last spot.


	2. Rehearsals

and he did. rehearsals started in august. dan was ecstatic to have achieved his dreams, essentially. he couldn’t believe he had gotten the role along with 4 other friends, who were very talented. dan also couldn’t believe that the supporting lead role would be played by phil. they needed someone desperately to fill that role, and they reached out to phil and asked. this wouldn’t be a problem except for the fact that phil could barely dance and his role is supposed to be the romantic partner to the lead throughout the show. dan was going to have to pretend to be in love with phil for weeks on end while suppressing any feelings he caught during that class he shared with phil. easier said than done. and of course, their mutual friend named ella, who had warned dan before, was one of the ones sharing the lead role with dan. she was always watching dan and she could see that he was an utter mess whenever he had to partner with phil. what she never told dan was that phil had broken up with his girlfriend back in the spring. she didn’t want dan to try and shoot his shot because phil’s relationships usually didn’t end up very well.

a couple of rehearsals in, the three had a conversation about phil’s hair being quite long and they tried deciding what he should do with it for the show. it was the first conversation dan and phil had been involved in together, and it lasted about 10 seconds, and dan doesn’t remember much of it because he was so nervous and probably said all of 2 words to phil. they didn’t talk to each other for a while after that because dan thought it was best to distance himself from phil as much as possible in order to not catch feelings again.

of course, when they’re in rehearsal and walking around holding hands and pretending to be in love, it wasn’t so easy. dan’s stomach got butterflies every time. phil was always so gentle but firm while touching him. dan felt so safe and supported under phil’s grasp yet nervous with being so close together. sometimes he would pull ella aside and freak out a bit because dan could barely contain himself. he was trying so so hard to not feel anything for this stupidly pretty and gentle boy, and it wasn’t working at all. it was doing the opposite, dan was falling for him more. he kept reminding himself that this was just acting and phil felt nothing for him, but it was a flop and didn’t help much at all. 

in december, the leads hosted a cast party near show day and ella had announced last minute that she’d be there for the first hour and she’d have to leave. everyone was sad about it, but it made dan incredibly anxious because he wasn’t going to have her to talk sense into him when phil was around. additionally, phil wasn’t going to know anyone else at this party. he was just going to know the leads so he’d want to be around dan and the others. dan wasn’t so sure he could maintain his calm professional composure outside of the studio. ella assured dan that everything would work out fine. 

the day of the party, everything was great and going to plan. dan unwillingly kept looking towards the door to see if phil wasn coming, and eventually gave up looking. the leads partied and took pictures and did everything super important right before ella had to leave, so she didn’t miss much. a little after she left, phil walked in the door. nearly an hour and a half late, the leads went and said hello and ushered him toward the food before it would be taken away since he showed so late. dan was on edge with ella gone and he tried to seem as calm and not interested as possible. and it worked! well, sort of. there was a girl from the cast who took a sudden liking to phil, and wouldn’t leave him be. it made dan sick with jealousy, watching her follow him around everywhere and pulling him onto the dance floor, until dan realized phil looked absolutely miserable and so uncomfortable with her. it was honestly amusing to dan, seeing phil be too nice to really say no but also not be enjoying himself at all. it made dan relax a little.

when the cake came out, everyone rushed to have a slice first and dan took this opportunity to stroll off to the bathroom by himself and get cake after when there wasn’t a line. he returned, grabbed cake, and moved over to a standing table, and dug into the cake happily. he nearly choked when phil walked up to the table with his own slice of cake and began to ask how dan was.

“i’m ok, you?” dan finally spat out, having swallowed his cake  
“alright,” phil said.

dan asked him if he really was, and mentioned the girl that’d been dragging him around everywhere all night. phil rolled his eyes and took in a mouthfull of cake. dan giggled and instantly regretted it. but phil, after swallowing the cake, smiled back at dan, whos stomach felt like it was at war with millions of butterflies. they had nearly finished the rest of their cake in silence, when, out of the blue, phil asked,

“would you mind if we took a picture together?”

dan’s head snapped towards phil’s and processed the words that came from his lips, before responding (after too long),

“sure, why not.”

this was dan’s attempt at a calm composure. it seemed to somehow be working. they finished their cake and dan asked the photographer to take their picture together. dan promised phil he would somehow send the photo to him once he got it. phil thanked him and walked off to get some more sweets, where he was dragged away unwillingly by that girl again. he spent the rest of the night with her and dan couldn‘t stop smiling after their little encounter. phil had chosen to walk up and have cake with and take a picture with him. it probably meant nothing because other than ella, phil was the most familiar with dan out of everyone there. but dan felt special. by this point, any attempts to not have feelings were long gone for the night. dan was giddy from the brief time they had spent together.

at the end of the night, all the leads had to stay and help clean up the mess everyone else had made. as if phil couldn‘t get any better, he volunteered to stay and help clean up too. after they cleaned, they all accidentally stood around for an extra hour talking about memes and watching youtube videos and laughing and bonding. dan wasn‘t as nervous anymore since he had completely forgotten about the whole ‘not catching feelings’ thing. when phil realized it was far too late and he should go, everyone said goodbye, and he hugged everyone, dan last. he gently snaked his arms around dan and pulled him in, tightly, but gently, just like any other touch dan had felt during rehearsals. and god, did phil smell good. it was indescribable. dan wanted to smell phil all the time, wanted to burn a candle with his scent. (at this point dan was long gone. high on sugar, and giddy from his time with phil, he had fallen much harder for the boy.) dan went home and cocooned up in bed, smiling to himself about his time with phil. he was completely and utterly fucked. he had caught feelings.

the next time dan and phil talked was at the first dress rehearsal, a week before the show. they were on stage sitting in the back on the “throne” while people entered in front of them for the coda. they weren’t really needed at that moment and they somehow easily fell into a conversation of anything and everything. phil kept making jokes that made dan laugh. they nearly missed an entrance because they were talking so much. later that night, they were backstage waiting to come on after other people were getting corrections, and they were still talking.

“ya know,” said phil, “i added everyone from our information group chat on snapchat using contact add, but it didn’t add you. do you not have a snapchat?”

dan couldn’t believe that phil had added everyone on snapchat and was going to add him too. dan had one, but never actually bothered to go into his settings and add his phone number to the account details.

“i have one, it’s just not connected to my number,” dan replied

and after a couple seconds,

“...but i can give it to you if you really want it.”

where had that FLIRTY sentence EVEN COME FROM?! dan NEVER said things like that, but he was becoming more confident after talking to phil more that day and giving up hope on suppressing feelings for him. 

after what seemed like an eternity, phil smoothly replied,

“sure!”

and dan exhaled the breah he didn’t know he was holding. and then they had to enter the stage.

when dan got home from rehearsal, he screenshotted his snap code, and started an individual text to phil. his teacher had put them all in a group chat to let them know of extra lead rehearsal times and such, so dan had his number but had never thought of texting him one-on-one, until that moment. he selected the picture from his camera roll. he hovered his thumb over the send button for a minute or two, thinking if he wanted to go through with this or if he should say something along with the snap code or not. finally he got a burst of bravery and just tapped send. dan’s heart raced as he sat and waited for a reply from phil, which came 3 minutes later. a simple “thanks,” followed by a snapchat notification that phil had added him. dan added him back. phil messaged “hi” and dan said hi back, and they somehow ended up talking for hours again. they stayed up until 2am messaging back and forth. they just clicked, their conversations felt so easy now and although dan was still a little nervous, he was ok with talking to phil. 

they snapchatted almost nonstop for the next few days. they eventually started sending picture messages, which made dan nervous as he wasn‘t exactly looking super cute all the time like phil did. once, late at night, phil sent a picture of him in bed, shirt off, under the covers, looking half asleep. dan choked on his spit at the sight. he was definitely not prepared for that. phil was fit, he was attractive, and dan was hopeless. he sent a mediocre selfie back and phil called him cute, causing dan to fall asleep with a blush on his face. 

the leads were told verbally at that last dress rehearsal that they could come in for extra practices the week of the show if they wanted to. phil wasn‘t around when they were told but the leads all arranged to meet at the studio the day before the show for one last rehearsal themselves. about a half hour in, the leads were taking turns running through the show and dan, on his off time, was messaging phil.

d: i just want to get the show over with i feel so ready i‘m sick of rehearsing tbh

p: are you rehearsing now? at the studio?

d: yeah it‘s just me and the leads though

p: i‘m coming

d: whaT

p: i‘m bored and i need more rehearsal time. i‘m coming.

d: i guess i can‘t stop you.

dan looked up from his phone and took in the whole situation. phil was going to show up to a late night, almost spontaneous rehearsal that he was never told about. he realized the other leads would question how he even knew to come. dan put his phone down and started marking along in the back to the music while someone else rehearsed.

when phil arrived, everyone was surprised but didn’t question how he knew to come, and everyone started rehearsing together. dan couldn‘t stop smiling to himself knowing phil was there because of him. when they danced together, dan was beaming. phil too. none of the other leads seemed to notice them acting this way around each other even though dan was so sure they weren‘t being discreet whatsoever. of course, dan thought, there was nothing between them to really be discreet about, because they were nothing more than friends.


	3. The Shows

right before the first show, phil was asking the leads to tell him very important things he has to remember. dan remembered something phil was never taught, but should know. 

“if any flowers fall off the props or costumes, you have to go pick them up in between the dances and then come back to the lead and present them as a gift. it’s really important because someone could trip or slip on them if you leave them there.”

phil nodded, then wished dan good luck before he went to go find ella. she was the first show’s lead. it went pretty smoothly for being the first show, and phil remembered to pick up the flowers. dan was proud that he remembered but slightly jealous watching them act and pretend to be in love on stage. when the curtain closed, everyone congratulated ella on her amazing performance. dan peeled off from the big group of people and went into the wings to preset his props for the second show. he started to walk downstairs to the dressing room and when he hit the bottom of the staircase, he heard someone call above him,

“hey dan?”

dan looked up to see phil at the top of the staircase. he was holding out the little fake pink flowers he had picked up during the show and presented to ella. he let go of the few flowers and they showered down on dan, who caught them. phil said softly,

“for you.”

dan‘s jaw dropped as he looked up at phil. then dan smiled so big that phil smiled back before he walked away from the stairs.

dan took the flower home with him and kept holding it and smiling to himself. he felt pretty stupid that the fake flower buds made him so happy but they did. he took a picture of himself and the flowers and sent it to phil, captioned ‘thanks again for the flowers!’ and phil sent a picture of him in bed again, captioned ‘no problem.’

the next day, there was a show in the morning and a show at night. the night show was when dan would be the lead role. he was so nervous that day he couldn’t eat. he was also developing allergies from the shift in the weather so he felt sick and he could barely breathe. but the show must go on. the first show went by in a blur, but it was good, and after the show, phil once again gave him the fake flowers he picked up. but this time, phil approached him in the wings. dan accepted the flowers, smiling, and asked

“you gonna give me some after every show?”

“i plan on it. shame they’re not real though.”

dan liked that they weren’t real because that meant they’d never die. he’d have them forever. of course he wasn’t going to tell phil that. it’d seem kind of creepy. 

dan’s happiness was soon replaced by nerves though. he got in costume and walked up to the stage and prepped to do the thing he’d been dreaming of for years. phil met him backstage before the show to find dan crying. dan didn’t know why he was crying and couldn’t seem to stop but phil hugged him and told him to stop or he’d mess up his makeup. dan laughed, patted his tears away, and went to his starting position.

the beginning of the show seemed to be going okay. dan made all of his acting and improv over the top now that he was on stage and people in the balcony were now watching and trying to see what he was doing. dan also nailed his first variation and felt really good about it. when phil entered, dan was focused on him. he didn’t even have to act like he had feelings for phil anymore, because he truly did. he just let himself be free emotionally and focused on the order of the show. they danced together and were pulled apart. dan didn’t have time to miss phil as he was thrust into a quick change and had a quick sip of water and not enough time to breathe before he entered again and did his second variation. by the end of it, he felt utterly terrible and was practically gasping for air. he pretended to pass out on the floor as ‘fog’ made of dry ice swept over him and he counted the time before he arose again and exited hand in hand with phil.

once offstage, dan was gulping down water like his life depended on it. another scene was happening, so dan had a solid couple of minutes to rest before he and phil had to re-enter. but he felt like shit. as the adrenaline began to wear off, dan realized how sick he really felt. and phil noticed dan looked really pale.

“dan, are you alright?”

“i feel like i’m going to pass out.”

phil ran to get someone backstage and pulled dan into the hall, frantically opening the windows, and returning to dan’s side, worry caked all over his face. he placed a hand on dan’s shoulder and gently rubbed his thumb back and forth, asking if dan was ok.

dan felt like he was dying and he kept just trying to stay conscious and hydrated. he focused on his breathing and ignored everyone around him until what felt like he got a minute total of rest before he was told they were supposed to re-enter for the end of the first act. all they had to do was walk on stage and pose for a while as the curtain closed. dan thought he could do that.

phil ensured he’d have a hand around dan’s waist as the walked, and would hold dan’s hand with the other arm, and he wouldn’t let dan fall. they stepped out on stage, dan shaking and feeling like he was withering away, while phil was there, gripping on until the curtain closed and then walking dan to a chair backstage. the whole cast went about, prepping for the second act while the crew and teachers were frantically trying to help dan. they tried to coax him into eating something and kept asking how he felt. they even delayed the opening of the second act just to try and help dan feel better. but dan felt so faded and weak he wasn’t sure he could do it.

in a brief moment that someone had finally left dan’s side, phil approached dan again.

“dan i know that you probably feel terrible, but i know you can do this. the second act is almost all just sitting down and watching the other dancers, and when we have to dance i’ll be right next to you so you won’t fall. you can change your turns to something else, but you have to do this.”

dan thought about how much he’d regret if he didn’t finish doing the show and realized phil was right. dan had to do this. he finally took a cough drop from someone for some sugar he could suck on while on stage and walked towards his entrance spot with phil holding onto him like dan’s life depended on it. one of their teachers in the show passed them on the way and saw dan looking very pale and sick and asked what had happened. phil explained and the teacher made phil promise to always be holding onto dan and to help him stand up and sit down and walk around on stage so phil could catch dan if he were to faint. phil promised that he wouldn’t let anything happen to dan. and dan was in such a daze he missed the whole conversation as he just tried to focus on calming down and staying conscious. 

the show started and dan and phil were watching the other leads do their dance that they did for every show they weren’t the actual lead. dan got really nervous as it started to end, realizing that once he walked up through the audience onto the stage with phil, he’d be on for the whole rest of the show.

phil looked over at dan, holding out his hand for dan to take. 

“you ready. dan?”

“no. but i have to do this. let’s go.”

and so they walked on stage, phil holding onto dan’s hand tightly, giving a little squeeze to reassure dan that he was really here. they walked around for a bit as they were supposed to, until it was time for dan to dance for a bit. he was super nervous about the whole situation and he tried to make sure he was making the right faces and doing the right moves, and he got a little ahead of the timing, but finished it on time somehow. everyone clapped, and dan and phil were walked up to the throne, where phil held dan’s hand and waist until dan had sat down. he wasn’t supposed to do that. it wasn’t choreographed. but he did it because he was really worried about dan. they watched some dances, and phil kept checking in, whispering over to ask if dan was ok. dan couldn’t speak, he just smiled a little bigger each time for confirmation with closed lips, as he was still sucking on the cough drop and didn’t even know what colour it was or if it had stained his teeth. people backstage came to the edge of the curtain to ask about dan too, but dan wasn’t going to give up. he was going to struggle through the show, because he kept remembering phil’s words and knowing he would regret everything if he didn’t do everything entirely. 

the number before dan was supposed to dance again and do his turning sequence, dan began to realize he didn’t even know what he was going to do once he stepped off the throne. he couldn’t just improv actual dancing for a whole 3 8-counts and make it look professional. so he decided he was going to push through the turns, despite phil telling him not to. upon this decision however, dan didn’t know what he was going to do with the cough drop if he was going to turn. so he subtly kept shifting it around his mouth, trying to figure out where would be secure enough to keep it and not choke. phil kept giving dan weird glances as he did this, not understand why dan was moving his mouth around so much. but when it came time for dan to dance, he took off his crown, and allowed phil to guide him off the throne even though phil would have to let go entirely in about 10 seconds.

the music started and dan slipped into auto-drive. he knew everything he was supposed to do, and with his cough drop secured, he prepped and did all of his turns and landed them, shocking everyone backstage, and phil onstage. they finished their dance and bowed and phil guided dan back up to the throne, still gripping onto and supporting dan, who was now shaking. when they were sitting, phil handed dan his crown, and gave him the biggest smile, whispering,

“i’m so proud of you!”

dan smiled widely back and placed his crown back on securely. they watched the next dance, a giant group number with all the flower props. many of the flowers fell off onto the stage and dan prayed that phil remembered to go pick them up and present them to him. not because he wanted more flowers (although he certainly wouldn’t mind them) but because it was the one time phil actually needed to give flowers to dan for the safety of the other dancers. and he remembered. as soon as the stage cleared, phil swiftly descended the throne, collecting all the flowers, before returning to dan, on one knee, presenting all the flowers to him dramatically. the whole audience awwed and dan giggled as phil beamed at him. he took the flowers, placing them on the table, and phil sat, cueing the rest of the show to continue. they watched the end dances, and dan began to get sad, knowing he would soon be walking around the stage just once more before saying goodbye and exiting this role forever, never getting to experience it again.

phil helped dan up from the throne once more and they walked around, everyone on the stage bowing goodbye to them, before they stepped onto the front steps of the stage. the whole cast walked forward as the song was ending and waved at dan and phil as they ran down the front of the stage. once offstage, dan felt exhausted, and phil looked at dan, smiling so wide, saying

“you did it!!!”

and dan blushed before they separated before jogging around the theater to opposite sides of the stage for their final bows. dan got there just in time to see phil enter onstage, smiling, and taking a very humble bow before dan was whisked onstage and bowed, his crown falling off, and he walked back to the rest of the cast, just wanting the curtain to close, so he could rest. he did bows with the cast, where his crown fell off a second time, and the teacher who made phil promise to care for dan walked up and crowned him once more, firmly, so it wouldn’t fall off again. dan felt like he was on top of the world yet also like he was scraping the bottom of the barrel.

when the curtains finally closed, everyone began to cheer, and the leads and all the other cast that was friends with dan swarmed him with hugs, saying how proud they were of him, saying they couldn’t believe he pushed through the show and how beautifully he had done. dan was so happy but was also looking around for phil, who seemed to have disappeared. he accepted all his praise and took a few photos with friends before phil walked up again to say congratulations, just like everyone else. 

dan tackled him in a tight hug, nearly in tears, whispering “thank you” into his ear and hiding in the crook of his neck. phil hugged back just as tightly and held his hand as they walked out to the audience to see dan’s family. dan went around, hugging everyone, thanking everyone for the compliments they gave him, and he was smiling so big, bigger than his family had ever seen. phil watched over quietly from afar, until dan dragged him in for a photo. dan’s parents thanked phil over and over for taking care of dan on stage and phil acted like he hadn’t done anything, like it wasn’t a big deal. but dan knew he couldn’t have done the show without phil. he owed everything today, to phil, for being there through it all, when he had no obligation to do that. dan talked to more family as phil talked to dan’s parents.

when people began to leave, phil approached dan and gave him another fake flower, one of the ones he had actually picked up on stage during the show. dan felt like crying because phil was so caring and kind and thoughtful; he didn’t deserve phil. phil said he had to go get changed and leave, but promised to talk to dan tomorrow, because he told dan to go home and rest.

which dan did. he was so incredibly happy, but really, really sick. he knew he had to do something before tomorrow because he still had 2 shows left. he took a bunch of meds and forced himself to eat soup and go to sleep asap, knowing he needed it all.

the next day, dan felt much better, the first show breezed by, and phil approached dan after to give him another flower and talk.

“here’s your flower. how are you feeling today? you look better.”

“thank you, it’s beautiful. and i’m feeling a lot better but still not great.”

“you looked really really pale yesterday and your eyes seemed glazed over after the first act. i was really worried the whole time.”

“thank you again for all that. i couldn’t have made it without you. really.”

“i was just doing what any good person would do. don’t worry. but can i ask you something?”

dan’s heart sank and he felt sick all over again, but a nauseated sick, not like an “i’m dying” kind of sick.

“sure. ask me anything.”

“would you like to go out to lunch sometime? like after the shows?”

dan felt sick in a different way now... butterflies attacked his stomach. was phil asking him on a date? phil lester? beautiful, amazing, funny, kind, phil lester?

“you mean like a date?”

“if you want it to be.”

“i’d like that, phil. i’d like that very much.”

“great. i’m really glad because i like you dan.”

dan was ready to pass out again

“really?”

“yeah.”

“i like you too.”

“i’d hope so!”

and then they parted ways to prep for the last show. that one flew by so quickly too, and dan really missed phil being beside him that day, but he also liked to watch phil dancing with the other leads (even if dan wished phil was dancing with him again). phil remembered to give his last flower to dan of course, with the promise of a first date and a text to arrange said date. they hugged tightly, out of prying eyes, and said goodbye to each other and the whole show. it was all over.

although dan and phil weren’t over in the slightest. they went home and talked to each other on snapchat until 3 am, talking about anything and everything, realizing they had so so much in common. neither of them wanted to sleep, but their eyes kept closing as they struggled to type out a response to one another, and dan got his first goodnight message from someone ever. dan fell asleep with a soft smile on his face that night.


	4. The First Dates

the next day, they arranged their date. phil was going to come pick dan up in two days and take him to a mexican restaurant near his house for dinner, and then they were going to take a walk around town. 

it didn’t happen. the day of, phil texted dan about an hour before saying he might be later than their original time and he was really sorry, but he would be there to pick him up asap. an hour and a half after the time they had agreed on though, dan still hadn’t heard anything else from phil and he hadn’t picked dan up yet. dan was sitting in bed, staring at his phone, dressed nice for their date, waiting for a response. dan gives up hope. he’d been stood up. another half hour passed before he heard anything from phil, and finally phil texted choppily and frantically, explaining that he was so so so sorry and he was on his way from the doctors to home to change and pick dan up but when he arrived home, he wasn’t allowed to go out and his phone was taken so he couldn’t even text dan until now and he felt so horrible and he understood if dan didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

dan was taken aback. he had heard that phil’s parents were strict from both phil and others, but this was shocking. not allowing phil to let someone else know of a change of plans was just wrong. but he calmed phil and accepted his apology and reassured him saying all was ok.

phil had to go but promised to make it up to dan soon. and dan was fine with that. he couldn’t be mad, it wasn’t phil’s fault. phil does like him and wanted to see him today but wasn’t allowed. that’s all. he changed back into pajamas and wasted the rest of his day away on the internet.

the next day, phil texted dan around noon, just after dan’s parents had left the house.

p: are you busy right now?

d: no i’m home alone, why?

p: how about i pick you up now and we go on our date

d: i’m not dressed nice and i don’t look cute you have to give me some warning. phil.

p: i’m sure you look great. and we’re not going to the mexican place, this is an impromptu wendy’s date.

d: ok. i’ll get ready while you’re on your way.

dan was incredibly nervous. he looked down at his black leggings and his pink “overdressed” tee and just accepted that he didn’t have time to change and fix his face, and they were just going to wendy’s so it was fine. he concealed and put on mascara before fixing his hair, and grabbing his bag at the sound of phil texting dan, saying he arrived. dan locked the door behind him and walked out to see phil’s nice car. he was shaking a bit, because he was nervous and cold, but hopped in the car and smiled at phil.

“hi.”

“see you do look cute. are you sure you’re ok with wendy’s? we can go anywhere i just want it to be casual because i was able to arrange this so last minute.”

“i don’t care where we go. wendy’s is fine with me.”

phil hummed in acceptance and pulled away from dan’s house. they drove in silence, and it was a comfortable silence, but internally, dan was freaking out. this was his first proper date and he didn’t wanna mess anything up or be super awkward. he was deep in thought as phil drove, although he kept occasionally looking over at dan which made dan nervous because he wanted phil to focus on the road, but he didn’t say that.

they arrived and got out of the car, phil holding the door open for dan on the way in the restaurant. phil asked dan what he wanted and really, dan was so anxious he didn’t want anything, but it’s rude to not get something on a date so he ordered a small chocolate frosty. phil paid for it as dan was searching for money in his bag.

“i got it, don’t worry about it!”

“no phil it’s ok i can pay for it.”

“it’s just a frosty, dan.”

“yeah but you don’t have to pay for it.”

“i already did.”

dan rolled his eyes and lightly shoved phil. he wasn’t used to other people paying for him and he felt really guilty about it. they grabbed their order and found a little booth, sitting across from each other. dan sipped his drink a little and forced himself to swallow it, trying to act like a normal human and also not wanting phil’s money to go to waste. 

“i can pay you back i have the money let me just find it. how much was it again?”

“dan i’m not letting you pay me back for a frosty. it’s literally $1.06 with tax. that’s ridiculous.”

“i just don’t like other people paying for things for me i feel like i have to pay them back and i owe them. i don’t like owing people.”

“you don’t owe me anything. just drink it and enjoy.”

“fine. i’ll sneak the money to you somehow.”

“no you won’t!!”

they both laughed. they talked about other things as well, but dan learned that phil tended to start talking and not stop. he found it endearing honestly. he could listen to phil talk for hours. he hardly interjected and just listened to everything phil said.

“...and that’s basically how my summer went. but i’ve just realized i spent so much time talking and you’ve barely talked i’m so sorry tell me about you”

“it’s ok. i like listening to you. and there isn’t much to say about me really. i’m not really that interesting. i just dance a lot.”

“that’s not true, and i know you do other stuff as well.”

dan sheepishly grinned down at the table, fidgeting with his sleeve. 

“you’re really pretty you know, dan.”

dan blushed hard. he kept staring down at the table.

“you know you don’t have to lie and say nice things, right? i know you’re a kind person but you don’t have to do that.”

“dan i never lie. i don’t see the point in lying, and i hate it. i’m always honest. i know you don’t know me well enough yet to trust that at face value, but i never lie.”

dan looked up to see phil looking at him with a serious expression, making dan feel a little guilty for accusing him of just lying. phil really never lied. and from then on dan knew he could trust him.

just three days later, they were going on a date again. this time, to the mall. they were still learning things about each other and were still somewhat awkward with boundaries, so dan was really nervous. dan was also hoping he could keep it in his pants because all he wanted to do after their last date was kiss phil, but he didn’t want to make the first himself. he was just going to wait for phil to decide what he wanted. they walked around inside for a bit, then went to the food court. phil ordered chinese food and dan was so nervous he couldn’t eat, so he just watched phil. they talked as phil ate, about anything and everything, and dan began to relax. they watched silly videos on dan’s phone and dan’s cheeks were hurting because he was smiling so much. it was a feeling he wasn’t used to. phil finished his food and pulled some lemonhead candies out of his pocket.

“you want some?”

“...you’ve had that whole box of candies open in your pocket this whole time? where did you even get them? why is the whole box in your pocket?”

“i was eating them before i picked you up, just take some!”

dan took three and sucked on them. phil reached out his hand for dan to hold and they walked around the mall some more before realizing that phil had to get home. as they got closer to the car, dan got more and more nervous. he didn’t know what was going to happen or if anything was even going to happen, but he just tried to not be so nervous or he’d get sick; that is just utterly unattractive and probably the worst possible thing that could happen.

phil held dan’s door open so he could get in the car and closed it for him, then walked over to his side. dan started buckling his seatbelt as phil got in. 

phil sat down, closed his door, and didn’t turn the car on. dan noticed the silence and looked over.

“i don’t want to leave,” phil mumbled, not making eye contact with dan. “i don’t want to take you home.”

dan was frozen. but he said “me either. this was nice.” he looked over at phil

phil’s knee was bouncing nervously and his finger was tapping as he looked over at dan, looking like he wanted to say something. dan just stared back.

“dan... can i kiss you?”

dan’s whole face burned with blush as he whispered, “yeah”

they just looked at each other for 10 seconds before laughing and turning away.

“i shouldn’t have asked. i ruined the moment. i don’t know how to even start now that i asked.”

“no, i’m actually glad you asked. it means you care about how i’m feeling. you didn’t ruin it.”

they looked over at each other again, and phil just softly smiled before leaning towards dan and closing his eyes. dan was internally panicking because he had never actually really kissed someone before, so he just closed his eyes and leaned foward towards phil. their lips met gently, apprehensively, and pulled apart again. dan and phil stared at each other, trying to assess what the other was feeling. phil broke the silence.

“that was nice.”

“yeah. i liked it.”

they both stared at each other for 3 seconds before phil leaned in again and kissed again, this time with more passion. dan felt a tongue brush against his bottom lip and dan opened his mouth a little more, tasting lemon candy and feeling impossibly closer to phil. dan began to feel a little lightheaded and he pulled away to catch his breath and unbuckle his seatbelt so it would be a little easier to reach over the center of the car console. phil laughed at dan unbuckling and dan rolled his eyes

“shut up.”

“make me.”

yet phil reached in and cupped dan’s jaw with his hand himself and kissed harder than he had before. dan’s hands found their way to phil’s neck and he didn’t know how they had gotten there or when but they were just trying to be as close as possible while still in two different car seats. suddenly, phil’s phone was ringing and they broke apart, heavy breathing.

dan saw ‘mom’ on the phone screen and started laughing, while phil shushed him so he could take the call

“hi mom... yeah i’m on my way to dan’s house right now. there was a bit of traffic around the mall... yes i know what time it is i can’t help the traffic... i’ll be home soon... ok bye”

phil hung up the phone and dan giggled

“the car isn’t even on and you told her we’re not near the mall anymore”

“i really don’t want to go.”

“neither do i.”

and then they were kissing again. only after a few minutes dan pulled away.

“you’re going to be in so much more trouble if we don’t leave like right now.”

“yeah ok. let’s go.”

they drove to dan’s in content silence, with a slight tension in the air. phil pulled into the driveway, turned the car off, and looked over at dan.

“i’ll walk you up but i want to say goodbye first.”

and gently pulled dan towards him and placed a soft and caring kiss on his lips.

they got out of the car and walked up to the door. dan’s parents thanked phil for taking and returning him safely, and then he left. dan waltzed to his bedroom, on cloud nine. he couldn’t stop smiling.

d: text me when you get home safely. tonight was really nice. i had fun.

phil texted back about 10 minutes later.

p: i’m home. i had fun too. goodnight, dan.

d: goodnight, phil.

and dan fell asleep with a smile on his face again.


End file.
